THOUSANDS fewer patients saw an NHS dentist in Worcestershire over the last two years, according to the latest figures.

A total of about 18,000 fewer patients saw an NHS dentist in the county over the two years up to March 2008 than they did over the two years before that.

Over the last two years 279,000 dental patients were treated on the NHS, which has fallen from 297,000 between 2004 and 2006, a drop of 6 per cent.

Alan McMichael, a consultant in dental public health for Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, said he did not know why fewer patients were being seen but believes more patients will be treated on the NHS in future.

The PCT target is for 310,000 dental patients to be treated on the NHS by 2011, which take the figure a step closer towards the 330,000 treated 12 years ago.

Mr McMichael said: “It certainly is something we want to fix. I do believe the number of patients seen on the NHS will rise. I’m well aware there has been a lot of negativity about the new system but there was a much bigger decline in NHS dentistry under the old system. Heaven forbid that we should return to that.”

In April 2006 the Government introduced a new dental contract with new charges, but many dentists were unhappy with it and left the profession.

Mr McMichael said: “We have got to stick with the existing system and I think it has benefits for patients. There is no question that we have had more money in recent years than we had before. NHS dentistry has not been starved of cash.”

Worcestershire Primary Care Trust has an annual budget of about £25 million for dentistry, some of which comes from patient charges. Capacity has increased in Worcester through a contract with Oasis Dental Care, based in St John’s.

Mr McMichael said some of the fall in NHS dental patients could be down to them sticking with the same dentist after they decided to do only private work.

Work for NHS dentists is expected to rise by 10 per cent over 2008/09 according to Worcestershire PCT.

The fall in NHS dental patients for Worcestershire is in line with national statistics published on Thursday which show that 900,000 fewer adults and 132,000 fewer children were treated.

A record low of 27 million people now see an NHS dentist in England.

For information on how to register with a local NHS dentist call the dental hotline on 01905 760111.